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There are many reasons to see Dare to Dance 6: Unity in Motion this weekend. Like all Dare to Dance show, it’s an exciting and inspiring collection of original dances created by dance enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels, from semi-professionals to total newbies. Our audience always loved the Dare to Dance experience, because our dancers are people just like them – office workers, software engineers, teachers, hairdressers, students, retired, unemployed… And the one thing in common is that we all love dance.

But every show also has its own unique characters. Here are some specific attractions at Dare to Dance 6:

10. “Beautiful people.”

9. What has been called “the all-time best cover” of a much-covered modern classic song, now set to a wonderful dance.

8. The return of Impulse Artistry!

7. What two high school “kids” can do is amazing.

6. A dance with no music. Say what?!?

5. The triumphant return of Richard Knowles III, who brought us the spectacular “Glee Battle” in D2D2 and the mesmerizing “Lights” in D2D3, before being sidelined for the past two years due to a traumatic accident. Welcome back, Richard!!

4. Prince.

3. The Princapellas, a group of dancers modeled after… Well, come and see!

2. “Dare to Dance 6: Dare to Sing.”

And…

1. Body percussion. Yep, it’s a thing. And it pops up in this show so much that you would think it was the result of intentional coordination. Nope… Pure coincidence. If you believe in such a thing as pure coincidence!

Curious yet?? Get your advanced tickets at http://D2Dtix.com, or just come to the door!!

Hard to believe it’s been so long since “Dare to Dance 5: Love Uprising”… Taking place on May 1 & 2, 2015, the show was a celebration of love, unity, and of course creativity. Every time we put on a show, there seems to be many firsts. “Dare to Dance 5” was no exception:

For the first time, we did three performances, including a “family-friendly” matinee. Although our shows are generally far from risqué, this matinee performance was shorter and easier for kids. We had a number of kids in the audience, as young as 4, and they really enjoyed it! Actually, there was also an 8-month-old baby, but she couldn’t quite tell us how she felt about the show. We’ll just assume she liked it too.

Thanks to the REMIX dance team, we had a 6-year-old dancer on stage, rewriting our record for youngest performer. (The previous record was 7.) Interestingly, she shared the stage with a 61-year-old, which could be a new record for us as well… It’s hard to know for sure, since we don’t always ask our older performers about their age.

Choreographer Jonathan Williams’s creative mind brought us not one, but two firsts: first performance set to a spoken word piece with no music; and first time with a painter doing a painting on stage during a performance.

Our first silent auction was a success, and a lot of fun! Thank you to all our auction donors.

If you missed the chance to see the show, or if you want to relive all the memorable moments, here is a 2-minute highlight video:

Only three weeks until curtains rise on “Dare to Dance 5: Love Uprising”! So what does that mean behind-the-scene?

It means we have a setlist and all performances are confirmed. (And as always, the song selections make an awesome playlist!) It means all the groups have been busy rehearsing – for anywhere between one month and several months – and are now approaching the final polishing stage. It means a lot of conversations about costumes, props, and set pieces have been happening, which can be a really fun part of the process, or a really stressful part.

It also means this whole thing is starting to feel very real. It also means the excitement – and anxiety – is building toward Tech Week which, as everyone in the theatre world knows, is always a chaotic and exhilarating mess before everything magically gels together. It also means the passage of time has sped up, and the mere 21 days between now and then will zip by before we know it.

It means that the artistic creation known as “Dare to Dance 5: Love Uprising,” the culmination of inspiration, passion, and emotion from our 50+ performers and staff, is rapidly taking shape and getting ready to greet the world. To meet you.

A: Our show includes a mix of dance styles. Dancers in genres like hip-hop, contemporary, pop, jazz, and ballroom have all found their places in our show. Some dancers end up taking lead roles and some join as part of the group/background. Dance partners are welcome to audition in pairs.

Q: Are you really open to “all ages and skill levels”?

A: Yes. Absolutely. Even though we call this an “audition,” we make our best effort to accommodate everyone who loves to dance. After all, that’s what “Dare to Dance” is all about! If you have any specific concerns, please let us know.

Q: What will I be doing for the audition? Can I prepare a solo?

A: This is a group audition where you will be asked to dance freestyle to a number of songs. If you would like to perform a short solo (under 2 minutes), please include a request in your RSVP. We will accommodate your request as time allows. Bring your solo music on a CD, USB thumb drive, or an iTunes-compatible device with USB cord connected.

Q: What’s the time commitment for dancing in the show?

A: The show will be performed on Fri, May 1st & Sat, May 2nd evenings with the potential for a matinee performance on Saturday (TBD). Tech rehearsals will be on Saturday, Apr 25th and then a few evenings during the week of April 27-30th (depending on which piece(s) you perform in). The rest of the rehearsal process is handled by individual choreographers, so time demand will vary for each dance number. You may also end up dancing in multiple numbers. In general, rehearsals are held on weekday evenings or weekends.

Q: Is there any compensation?

A: Dancers are not paid for our show. In fact even choreographers and producers are not guaranteed any payment. This is one reason we have been able to put on full dance shows with no external funding, although we are exploring funding opportunities all year long so that the show can continue to grow. While it sounds like a cliche, it is true that everyone takes part in “Dare to Dance” for the sake of art!